Katy Cesarotti – The Booklist Readerhttps://www.booklistreader.com
Opinion, news, and lists from the book people at Booklist, Book Links, and Booklist Online
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1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.1.5Booklist Reader Horoscope: Planets in Retrogradehttps://www.booklistreader.com/2018/08/17/books-and-authors/booklist-reader-horoscope-planets-in-retrograde/
https://www.booklistreader.com/2018/08/17/books-and-authors/booklist-reader-horoscope-planets-in-retrograde/#respondFri, 17 Aug 2018 18:44:10 +0000http://www.booklistreader.com/?p=59279Much like each successive season of The Bachelor, this summer has shaped up to be one of the dramatic ones on record. We’re blaming this on the five planets currently in retrograde—astrologically, planets in retrograde appear to be moving backwards across the sky, which means disruption and slowdowns in our daily lives. In the future, […]]]>

Much like each successive season of The Bachelor, this summer has shaped up to be one of the dramatic ones on record. We’re blaming this on the five planets currently in retrograde—astrologically, planets in retrograde appear to be moving backwards across the sky, which means disruption and slowdowns in our daily lives.

In the future, of course, we’ll have the Space Force to handle these kinds of situations. But for now, the best we can offer is some recommendations for our star-crossed times; Booklist reviews are excerpted below.

Mars

When Mars is in retrograde, it frustrates attempts to forge ahead with our plans. This phase is a minefield of impulsive decisions, short-sighted actions, and self-destructive behavior. For an examination of progress, its unintended consequences, and new paths forward, read Unsheltered, by Barbara Kingsolver:

In this exceptionally involving and rewarding novel, Kingsolver considers how our ways of living are threatened by the changing climate and our ever-increasing pressure on the biosphere. Kingsolver insightfully and valiantly celebrates life’s adaptability and resilience, which includes humankind’s capacity for learning, courage, change, and progress.

Mercury

Mercury finally leaves retrograde on August 19, bringing an end to the fritzy communication and crossed signals that ruled over the last couple months. (It’s not you, it’s Mercury—I swear). For some insight, pick up Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness, by Melissa Dahl:

Dahl, editor of New York magazine’s “Science of Us,” knows awkward. Cringeworthy is her attempt to finally get to the bottom of this ubiquitous human experience, using herself as guinea pig.

Saturn

Saturn governs discipline and routine. Until September 19, you’ll be held karmically accountable for your past mistakes (which for some of us is bad news); it’s a time to reflect and carefully structure for the future. For when the past comes back to haunt you, read Give Me Your Hand, by Megan Abbott:

Kit Owens has a secret—actually, it’s Diane Fleming’s secret, shared when the two of them were teens, but the shocking revelation creates a burden and a twisted bond Kit wishes they didn’t have. A brilliant riff on hard science, human nature, and the ultimate unknowability of the human brain.

Neptune

The planet of introspection, dreams, and the subconscious went into retrograde about a month before Drake dropped “In My Feelings” (and about a month and a day before it became chronically overplayed). Neptune in retrograde is a good time for creative and spiritual reflection, but resist the temptation to drift away completely from the outside world.

The unnamed 24-year-old narrator of Moshfegh’s intriguingly bizarre second novel decides to hibernate in 2000. For about a year, aided by a dizzying parade of pills, she’ll treat the Manhattan apartment her inheritance bought her as her den. Propulsive, both disturbing and funny, and smart as hell.

Pluto

Even though we’ve revoked its full-planet status, Pluto rules our relationship with power and control. As midterm elections creep up, these questions grow all the more relevant. Dig in with For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics, by Donna Brazile, Yolanda Caraway, Veronica Chambers, Leah Daughtry, and Minyon Moore:

This trailblazing crew of black women, self-described “Colored Girls,” have been in the room with power brokers since the 1960s and have wielded significant influence on Democratic presidential campaigns and administrations. Told with obvious deep respect and affection, this is a spirited look at the politics and personal lives of four iconic women.

]]>https://www.booklistreader.com/2018/08/17/books-and-authors/booklist-reader-horoscope-planets-in-retrograde/feed/0In honor of CRAZY RICH ASIANS, Six Blockbuster Books on the Big Screenhttps://www.booklistreader.com/2018/08/15/books-and-authors/in-honor-of-crazy-rich-asians-six-blockbuster-books-on-the-big-screen/
https://www.booklistreader.com/2018/08/15/books-and-authors/in-honor-of-crazy-rich-asians-six-blockbuster-books-on-the-big-screen/#respondWed, 15 Aug 2018 20:56:23 +0000http://www.booklistreader.com/?p=59278The New York Times has reported that wealthy Asian-Americans have waged a campaign to make Crazy Rich Asians, opening today, a “bona-fide cultural phenomenon.” As Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks writes: [From] New York City to Los Angeles, Houston to Honolulu, these industry leaders and others have spent many thousands of dollars renting out dozens of theaters for special screenings […]]]>

The New York Timeshas reported that wealthy Asian-Americans have waged a campaign to make Crazy Rich Asians, opening today, a “bona-fide cultural phenomenon.” As Alexandra Yoon-Hendricks writes:

[From] New York City to Los Angeles, Houston to Honolulu, these industry leaders and others have spent many thousands of dollars renting out dozens of theaters for special screenings of the movie before and during its opening week. The campaign aims to fuel widespread interest in a film that could blaze a pathway for greater Asian-American representation in Hollywood, which organizers as well as the film’s creators and stars say is long overdue.

Best of luck to them! In a season often dominated by explosion-heavy action flicks and Transformers sequels, we look forward to watching the acclaimed novel make its silver-screen debut. Here are more excellent books, both fiction and non-, that recently made it to the flicks.

On Chesil Beach (May 18)

Ian McEwan wrote the screenplay of his bestselling novella, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Set in the early 1960s, On Chesil Beach depicts newlyweds on their honeymoon in an unflinching exploration of love, physical intimacy, and human psychology.

Leading actress Saoirse Ronan also starred in the 2007 adaptation of McEwan’s Atonement(2003), which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Stars Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin are veterans of book-to-movie adaptations—Woodley dazzled as Hazel Lancaster in The Fault in Our Stars (2014) and Tris Prior in Veronica Roth’s Divergent series, while Claflin charmed audiences as Will Traynor in Me Before You (2013) and Finnick Odair in the Hunger Games franchise.

Christopher Robin (August 3)

Winnie-the-Pooh has captured the hearts of readers since he first toddled through A.A. Milne’s work almost a century ago. In the upcoming live-action film, Christopher Robin is all grown up, disillusioned by adult responsibilities and the trauma of World War II. He must return to his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood to reignite his childhood sense of wonder and imagination.

The first entry in Alexandra Bracken’s New York Times bestselling series, The Darkest Minds(2012) takes place in a dystopian future where psychic teenagers are confined to “survivor facilities.” Sixteen-year-old Ruby escapes and forms a coalition to locate the elusive Slip Kid and resist the oppressive regime. This action-packed young adult novel fuses adventure, science fiction, and fantasy in a twisty ride.

Crazy Rich Asians (August 15)

Kevin Kwan’s novel Crazy Rich Asians follows American Rachel Chu as she travels to Singapore to meet her boyfriend’s Chinese expat family; she isn’t prepared for their extravagant wealth or the drama that ensues—nor the clever social satire and glitzy fashion and cuisine.

The book is the first in a trilogy that includes China Rich Girlfriend(2015) and Rich People Problems (2017).

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (August 17)

In Jenny Han’s young adult novel of the same title, Lara Jean’s therapeutic love letters are mistakenly mailed to her former crushes. The teenager must navigate the fallout and take the reins of life in this quirky and relatable romance set to premiere on Netflix in mid-August.

]]>https://www.booklistreader.com/2018/08/15/books-and-authors/in-honor-of-crazy-rich-asians-six-blockbuster-books-on-the-big-screen/feed/0“The Lottery” and More Short Stories on the Big Screenhttps://www.booklistreader.com/2018/08/14/books-and-authors/the-lottery-and-more-short-stories-on-the-big-screen/
https://www.booklistreader.com/2018/08/14/books-and-authors/the-lottery-and-more-short-stories-on-the-big-screen/#respondTue, 14 Aug 2018 17:57:43 +0000http://www.booklistreader.com/?p=59181Last month, Paramount announced a feature-length adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” a famously chilling short story that featured a sacrificial lottery, children-on-children violence, and a cruel, opaque government 60 years before the The Hunger Games. This marks the fourth time the tale has been made into a movie; the penultimate time, NBC cast Keri Russell […]]]>

Last month, Paramount announced a feature-length adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” a famously chilling short story that featured a sacrificial lottery, children-on-children violence, and a cruel, opaque government 60 years before the The Hunger Games. This marks the fourth time the tale has been made into a movie; the penultimate time, NBC cast Keri Russell and Dan Cortese in the lead roles. [Ed. note: !!!!!]

Short stories don’t get full-length film adaptations as often as novels—maybe because short stories are, you know, short. The following films, with source material linked to their Booklist reviews when available, relied on the form.

Arrival (2016)

This celebrated film follows Amy Adams through her past, present, and future as she attempts to communicate with aliens and stave off an escalating global crisis. It’s based on the title story of Ted Chiang’s Stories of Your Life and Others (2002), a thought-provoking collection under-girded by rigorous attention to science—Chiang researched linguistics for five years before writing his Nebula Award-winning novella.

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

I wish I knew how to quit crying over this tragic romance starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. The movie closely follows Annie Proulx’s original short story from Close Range: Wyoming Stories(1999). Proulx lived most of her life in the Northeast, but a year spent in Wyoming formed the seed of three of her short story collections.

Bonus Munro short-story adaptation: The 2015 compilation Family Furnishings (2015) includes “The Bear Came Over the Mountain,” the quietly devastating source material for the movie Away from Her.

The Safety of Objects (2001)

This ensemble picture, based on A. M. Homes’ collection of the same name (1990), didn’t get the greatest reviews. But you can’t blame director Rose Troche for falling in love with Homes’ bleakly absurd vision of suburban malaise, which sometimes inspires people to develop special feelings for Barbie dolls.

Sea Oak (2017)

This Amazon original series based on George Saunders’ short story of the same name was unfortunately short-lived: After airing the pilot episode in a battle royale of comedies, Amazon Studios decided not to renew the show.

But “Sea Oak” and the rest of the short stories in Pastoralia (2000) are unparalleled—Saunders depicts zombies, self-help gurus and off-kilter amusement parks with mordant wit and deep humanity. Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman acquired the rights to his Booker Prize–winning Lincoln in the Bardo (2017), so hopefully the Aunt Bernie-sized hole in our hearts will soon be filled.

Short Cuts (1993)

Fun fact! Robert Altman wrote the introduction for a movie tie-in collection of the nine Raymond Carver stories upon which this classic American film is based.

The Swimmer (1968)

Watch as a shirtless Burt Lancaster swims through suburban yards in this camp classic, based on a 1964 John Cheever story of the same name, appearing in any number of the ten million editions of Cheever’s collected stories.

]]>https://www.booklistreader.com/2018/08/14/books-and-authors/the-lottery-and-more-short-stories-on-the-big-screen/feed/0Cover Trend Alert: Broken Lollipopshttps://www.booklistreader.com/2018/08/07/books-and-authors/cover-trend-alert-broken-lollipops/
https://www.booklistreader.com/2018/08/07/books-and-authors/cover-trend-alert-broken-lollipops/#respondTue, 07 Aug 2018 15:27:52 +0000http://www.booklistreader.com/?p=59097Zoje Stage’s debut novel, the eerie thriller Baby Teeth (2018), marks the latest in a slew of books with lollipops on the cover. Shattered or sadly crumbled, these crushed candies are an omen that the salad days will soon be gone for the characters inside. Several of Liane Moriarty’s book covers feature exploding stuff, but the […]]]>

Zoje Stage’s debut novel, the eerie thriller Baby Teeth (2018), marks the latest in a slew of books with lollipops on the cover. Shattered or sadly crumbled, these crushed candies are an omen that the salad days will soon be gone for the characters inside.

Several of Liane Moriarty’s book covers feature exploding stuff, but the blockbuster Big Little Lies (2014) might have blown up this trend in earnest.

As rescuers race to save the remaining five boys trapped in a Thai cave system, audiences around the world are following the crisis with hope and trepidation. The rescue effort has brought together international military teams, rescue workers, diving experts, and Elon Musk, who is contributing a mini-submarine.

For readers interested in other harrowing tales of rescue and survival, we compiled the following recommended titles, linked to their excerpted Booklist reviews.

O. Henry Prize winner and first-time novelist Dinh drops four fictional characters into the tragic aftermath of the real-life January 2001 cataclysmic earthquake in Gujarat, India. The result is a tale that explores the efficacy of international aid, the price of survival, and the cost of love in an ever-shifting global world filled with conflict, catastrophes, and failed connections.

With precious little water or food, his right arm pinned for nearly five days by a boulder in a narrow canyon shaft in central-eastern Utah, Ralston amputated the arm with his pocketknife, then rappelled and hiked his way to his own rescue. What makes his account of his ordeal extraordinary, too, is the detail and precision Ralston, a former mechanical engineer, brings to the telling.

Set in stygian gloom, this account of a 1994 caving expedition in southern Mexico produces what adventure readers crave: danger, dissension, death, and ultimate success. The technicalities of this death-defying recreation, and the raw honesty with which this episode is depicted, will win over extreme-sport fans.

In 2007, the world was riveted by news that 33 men were trapped in a mine thousands of miles beneath the surface in a remote part of Chile. Tobar details the harrowing rescue and the emotional and spiritual resolve the men drew on as they struggled to survive in what they thought would be their coffin.

A survivors’ story from WWII, the tale Zuckoff relays contains a story line seemingly lifted from Hollywood. This scenario of an American plane crash in New Guinea in 1945 provoked prodigious publicity at the time, but the entire, true drama has never before been as comprehensively presented as it is here.

“Big Brown Bear can’t get comfortable in his new cave, and so he decides to try filling it with “stuff” like humans do. Unfortunately, he overdoes it, filling his cave so full that he gets stuck. Fortunately, he has (ursine) friends to push, pull, and pry until he’s able to escape.”

A narrative poem about Jessica McClure, who, as a toddler, was trapped at the bottom of a 22-foot well for 58 hours.

]]>https://www.booklistreader.com/2018/07/09/books-and-authors/further-reading-cave-rescues/feed/0Further Reading: Russian Spieshttps://www.booklistreader.com/2018/06/28/books-and-authors/further-reading-russian-spies/
https://www.booklistreader.com/2018/06/28/books-and-authors/further-reading-russian-spies/#respondThu, 28 Jun 2018 16:34:36 +0000http://www.booklistreader.com/?p=58506After mounting accusations of collusion, election meddling and spreading fake news, recent sensational headlines on Russian doings seem drawn directly from a Cold War thriller. We recommend the following books, linked to their excerpted Booklist reviews, for readers craving more accounts of political intrigue and conspiracy—or for those sad that The Americans has ended. Fiction […]]]>

After mounting accusations of collusion, election meddling and spreading fake news, recent sensational headlines on Russian doings seem drawn directly from a Cold War thriller. We recommend the following books, linked to their excerpted Booklist reviews, for readers craving more accounts of political intrigue and conspiracy—or for those sad that The Americans has ended.

The first installment of a new multivolume story arc finds agent John Wells and his longtime supporter, aging CIA analyst Ellis Shafer, sniffing out a many-tentacled conspiracy that reads like today’s headlines on steroids: Russian tampering kicked to a new level; a dim-witted, to-the-manor-born presidential aspirant with a baffling appeal to blue-collar voters; and a double agent out of The Manchurian Candidate.

What would you do if you found out that your entire life, including your husband, your children, and your career, might be part of an orchestrated effort on the part of the Russian government to infiltrate the CIA? Vivian Miller, a dedicated agent within the Company, is about to face that dilemma.

Spies have been coming in from the cold for decades, of course, most notably in le Carré, but also in the work of many other espionage novelists of the last 50 years. In fact, one could say that disenchantment with the secret world and the toll it takes on the individual human life is the quintessential theme of the modern spy novel.

American foreign policy is personal for McFaul, who began observing U.S.-Russian relations as a student in the 1970s and 1980s, engaged them as a pro-democracy activist and academic in the 1990s and 2000s, served on President Obama’s National Security Council, and was the American ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014.

Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin’s War on America and the Election of Donald Trump, by Michael Isikoff and David Corn

Authors Isikoff and Corn are both known for their writing skills and investigative-reporting chops. So put them together, and you have a highly readable book that meticulously pieces together how Russia involved itself in the 2016 election, who the players were, and how successful their complex machinations turned out to be.

In his prescient The Plot to Hack America—published before the 2016 election—Nance, a naval intelligence officer and a national security advisor for NBC News, offered informed speculation about how the Russians might meddle.

Now Nance is back with more specific information about how that meddling was done, laying out in frightening detail Russia’s plot to upend the world’s democratic norms and promote authoritarian governments, which Nance dubs a potential “Axis of Autocrats.”

]]>https://www.booklistreader.com/2018/06/28/books-and-authors/further-reading-russian-spies/feed/0Six Blockbuster Books on the Big Screenhttps://www.booklistreader.com/2018/06/19/books-and-movies/six-blockbuster-books-on-the-big-screen/
https://www.booklistreader.com/2018/06/19/books-and-movies/six-blockbuster-books-on-the-big-screen/#respondTue, 19 Jun 2018 17:40:10 +0000http://www.booklistreader.com/?p=58322In a season often dominated by explosion-heavy action flicks and Transformers sequels, we look forward to watching these acclaimed novels and memoirs make their silver-screen debuts. Smuggle a paperback in with your movie snacks and head to the theatre for these adaptations.

On Chesil Beach (May 18)

Ian McEwan wrote the screenplay of his bestselling novella, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Set in the early 1960s, On Chesil Beach depicts newlyweds on their honeymoon in an unflinching exploration of love, physical intimacy, and human psychology.

Leading actress Saoirse Ronan also starred in the 2007 adaptation of McEwan’s Atonement(2003), which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Stars Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin are veterans of book-to-movie adaptations—Woodley dazzled as Hazel Lancaster in The Fault in Our Stars (2014) and Tris Prior in Veronica Roth’s Divergent series, while Claflin charmed audiences as Will Traynor in Me Before You (2013) and Finnick Odair in the Hunger Games franchise.

Christopher Robin (August 3)

Winnie-the-Pooh has captured the hearts of readers since he first toddled through A.A. Milne’s work almost a century ago. In the upcoming live-action film, Christopher Robin is all grown up, disillusioned by adult responsibilities and the trauma of World War II. He must return to his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood to reignite his childhood sense of wonder and imagination.

The first entry in Alexandra Bracken’s New York Times bestselling series, The Darkest Minds(2012) takes place in a dystopian future where psychic teenagers are confined to “survivor facilities.” Sixteen-year-old Ruby escapes and forms a coalition to locate the elusive Slip Kid and resist the oppressive regime. This action-packed young adult novel fuses adventure, science fiction, and fantasy in a twisty ride.

Crazy Rich Asians (August 15)

Kevin Kwan’s novel Crazy Rich Asians follows American Rachel Chu as she travels to Singapore to meet her boyfriend’s Chinese expat family; she isn’t prepared for their extravagant wealth or the drama that ensues—nor the clever social satire and glitzy fashion and cuisine.

The book is the first in a trilogy that includes China Rich Girlfriend(2015) and Rich People Problems (2017).

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (August 17)

In Jenny Han’s young adult novel of the same title, Lara Jean’s therapeutic love letters are mistakenly mailed to her former crushes. The teenager must navigate the fallout and take the reins of life in this quirky and relatable romance set to premiere on Netflix in mid-August.